How to work from home without getting distracted

Josh Becker - Feb 9, 2018

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Work from home, they said. It’s the best thing ever, they said. Well, we’re not 100% sure who they are, but they do kind of have a point. There are so many great perks to working from home, and anyone who has worked from home before will almost always prefer it. But, having said that, there are drawbacks to the life of a homebound freelancer, among them, the dreaded ‘D’ word – distractions!

Let’s be honest, not having your boss on your case all the time might seem great in theory, but it’s not so good when your motivation starts to wane. It’s important to have accountability, or this can lead to low productivity. But, there must be something you can do, right? Some way of working from home and removing distractions? Check out our great ideas to help you with that.

Find (or create) a workspace

This is the big one, and we can’t stress enough how important this is. Whatever you do, don’t sit on the sofa with your laptop on your knees and start trying to work. There are far too many distractions like this, and you aren’t in a professional mindset. Find a proper workspace, or create one if you don’t have one. Converting the spare room into an office would be the perfect idea, or, putting a desk in the kitchen or living room where you can work. Having the right space is essential if you are serious about working without distractions.

Have the right gear

We understand you might not have a great deal of money to spend, but there are undoubtedly some things you shouldn’t be scrimping on. Making sure you have the right gear is essential if you’re working from home. That means having a powerful and efficient laptop – or preferably a desktop computer (get both if you can). A comfy and supportive chair is also essential as you’re going to be spending a fair amount of time sitting down. You also need the right desk, in terms of size and height, if you want to be able to work from home properly.

Dress for the occasion

It might sound a bit dumb, but the way you dress can actually have a massively important role in helping you be more productive when working from home. If you’re lounging around in PJ’s and a dressing gown, you’re going to find it more difficult to get into the work mindset. Try to combat this by dressing as you would if you were going into the office. We’re not suggesting a full on suit and tie, but perhaps jeans and a collared shirt would be a good idea.

Resist temptation

Ah, the hardest part of the process – if it were that easy we’d all be doing it, right? Temptations are going to come thick and fast when you work from home, and you need to be strong enough to try to block them from your mind. That means resisting the likes of daytime television, internet shopping, and stopping to get a snack. You’re going to have to battle these issues everyday, but they will get easier each time you do them.

These are just a few of the cool tips and hints that will help you to ensure that you are able to work from home without getting distracted. We’re not going to lie, this is going to be very difficult to accomplish when you first start out, but, over time you will get used to it.